Posted!

Join the Conversation

Comments

Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only.
This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you.
You do not need a Facebook profile to participate.

You will need to register before adding a comment.
Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in.

Please be polite.
It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban.
If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them.

Husk Greenville project comes before design review board

Plans for the Greenville location of the popular Charleston-based restaurant, Husk, are moving forward, but will require a bit more time, according to the architect overseeing the project.

Christian LeBlanc presented plans for renovating the building at 722 and 724 S. Main St. to the city’s Urban Design Panel, part of the Design Review Board, Thursday. After an extensive discussion, the board decided to approve the plans with conditions mostly related to further scrutiny of the desired building materials. LeBlanc will meet to discuss the plans with a small group of board members again at a future date.

The plans presented called for adding a two-story 1,300-square foot addition onto the back of the building that would primarily be constructed of Cor-Ten steel. The Cor-Ten steel provides a look that works with the existing building’s historic roots but also distinguishes itself as something new, LeBlanc said.

The proposed addition would include a bottom floor that housed a stairwell and a top floor with an office and restroom facilities and a prep area.

During the meeting, board members commended the design and the material, but said they worried the allowance of Cor-Ten steel in an historic district would set a difficult precedent.

Board member, Mitch Lehde raised concerns that the proposed plan did not meet the city’s code that governs the materials used in new construction in historic districts.

In the end, the board voted unanimously to approve the design with conditions. Representatives will meet with a smaller group of board members to discuss the project in the coming month.

But post-meeting, LeBlanc said he felt confident an agreement could be reached, and said he was excited for the addition of Husk to the downtown landscape. The restaurant has won acclaim for its innovative and faithful use of southern ingredients. And chef and partner, Sean Brock, has been lauded as a culinary master and a savior of true southern cuisine.

The Husk Greenville restaurant, which was announced in April, was supposed to open in the fall, but the building has remained relatively untouched for the past seven months.

Representatives with the company’s public relations firm declined to provide details about the restaurant project at this time, but said that they would have more concrete information to share at the start of the New Year.